Headlight



HEADLIGHT y Original Filed Apri?, '7, 192C: 2 Sheets-Sheeiz l Patented Win21, lli

('RMWELL A. B. HLVRFSDN,

dlt., QF LYNN, MASSACH''SEZUL.

HEADLGHT rigna epplestea file April *Jy i920, Serial No. 371,929. Dividedian'd this application med @Otmar my ieee.. serial No. Beiseinresiding in Lynn, in the county of Essex and State ot Massachusetts, have invented an improvement in Headlights, ot' which izo the following descriptionin connection with the accompanying drawings, is a speeiiica tion,` like characters on the drawings representing likeparts. -\-'l`l1is inventionrelates to an illuminating device or headlight for use oli-automobiles and like vehicles, and more particularly to a glass or light-trenini)itting member tor said headlight with which superior lighting eliect upon the roadway may be ohn tained. f

To this end, the headlight is provided with a glass or light-'transmittin0 member having prisms or devices oli dilterent angular dispersive power which act on rays of light passing` 'through the glass Ato eleot a `greater angular dispersion ot some rays of light than other rays, and which prisms or devices ai `vertically arranged on seid or lighttransmitting member with device ol lesser angular dispersive power located between deyices of a greater dispersive power so as to act on rays ol light which are nnacted upon by the devices ot greater angular dispersive power.

he prisms or devices of greater angular dispeisive power are preteraliily arranged on opposite sides oi' the Vertical central pon tion of the. glass or light-'transitiittilig meniber and are employed to obtain a relatively wide or great di'li'usion laterally oi :i heain oit" light passing through then: lo obtain proper illumination of the roadway laterally the headlight and et the gutters cit said roadway. i

The prisms or devices o lesser angular dispersive power are located liet-Ween the side prisms at the centra-l portion of the glass or ligght-transniitting,` member and einployedto eliect a lesser lateral oiil'nsion ol a beam ot' light passing through them, to obtain the required 'er 'lesired length ot beam in front of the headlight to illuminate the roadway at the desired or required diustence fr iront oi' the headlight, and also nilicientlateral Sinead the lies oi: light to canse it to merge am of light projectei'jl lthrov lfh the prisms and theieby obtain. s snbstsntLlhf uniform inrbrolien or continuons illoinination of the roadway transversely thereoll and laterally the. headlight.

The glass or light-transmitting member is especially useful in aheadiigjht having s re- Hector in front. oi' its light-source to project rays of light 'through the prisms of greater angular dispersive power` and haring a reflector in rear ot said light source to project K rays of light through the prisms of lesser angular dispersive power, substantially as shown and described in another application .Serial lluniber .7 ,1,929 tiled by nie April. T.,

199,0, of' which this application is o. division.

r)The particular features of the invention l Till be pointed ont in the claims et the end oif this specilication.

Fig. l is a front elevation o' one torni of headlight embodying this invention.

Fig, 2 an enlarged, section of the glass or light-transmittinQi member shown in Fig.

l and taken on the line. 2--2,

Fig. L a diagrammatic view to illust-rate the character oi the beam prodoced with the shown in Figs. 'l :and E, Where 'l' beam is projected on n tzirf it a material distance in Front ol' die idlioglit.

Fig". l. an enizi y ".'M'tieal section of' the headlight shown in Fig. l.

Referring to the drawings, represents v` `:t `glass or light-transmittineY member, which will be hereinafter termed the glass. which 'in accordance with this inrention is provided with prisms or devices el of dillerent angular disi n\1si\'e punten which are ranged on the glass with the prisms ot lesser angular dispersive power located stantially at the central portion ot i ie and between the prisms #llloit greater auf; lar dispersive power, which are located at the sid t the glass on opposite sides ot said central portion.

'lhe prisms 43 are constructed or shaped so as to obtain a lesser angular dispersion than the prisms de, and preferalihy an engulsr dispersion of from l to lil degrees. and in the present instance, the prisms or devi es Ll?) are substantially Widely separated from. one another and are coi. liectcd ln; shallon' curves to obtain a. smooth greeted dis persoon of the rays of light proiected throtdi them.

'the' side prisms structed or shaped to olitein a lar dispersion. of the rays oli .light o. preferably shout degrees. 'ght projected through 'the ure employed for illumiin proximity to the vehicle is used, Whereas the rays e through the prisms d3 are .lul-nineting the roedi'ey in 'vehicle ,or the desired or regutters of light emnloyed i.

disoei ion than the ooi'. to diminish their inut to prevent proper e roede" y the desired in freut of the vehicle. Figs. l, 2 end 3, it will t rays of light which pass *n'isiins ir-3 oi lesser angular disp, ere not acted upon hy the greater angular dispersive are et greater inteni'chicle than the rays 1 prisms l of power. ices 4:3 of lesser seguier h the prisms r power te en illuminay in front ot id the sides ot unile it the sume desired infront of the l Y `e" l niicle. v tcri'ihly will he ange or rim if? the prisms are instance the u-sive power ielly the full hut it is not 'ention in this respect. to locate the prisms oit die so the?" the thror f i eue Y. siiy cleumed. hut it is limit the invention in this ne prisms o' lesser angular l l. fed on the seine prisms of lesser angular dispersive. power ere arranged on the glass to cio-operate with it so that the intensity oi the beam of light produced by the rear reflector is not meterielly reduced and is of relatively high intensity, Whereas the light projected by the -reiieotor in front of the light source is of less volume and the prisms of greater angular dispersive power ere arranged on the glass to co-operate with it so as to m21- terielly reduce the intensity of the beam of light projected by the front reflector, and thereby produce a second beam of light of relu-tively low, intensity and of larger aree than. the beam oi relatively high intensity.

will therefore he seen, that'when e glass having side prisms of greater angular dispersive power und intermediate prisms'oi' lesser angular dispersive power is employed on e headlight hiiving e reflector in front of the light source :md e reflector in rear ot the light source, e very eiicient headlight is provided lin that e relatively wide lateral diiiusion ot the beam of light projected by the trout reflector is obtained for illumi meting the gutters and sides of the roadway, mid in that lesser lateral diffusion of the heuul of light projected by the rear reiiector is ohtsincd for illuminating the roadway in iront ot the 'rehioiewith e. light which merges with the side lights to -forn'i a subsuintielly continuous light extending transversely ot the roadway (see Fig. 3), which. extends in 'front et the vehicle the desired or required distance to properly illuminate the roadway 4 By providing the glass `with prisms ot lesser Angular dispersive power und with prisms of greater angular dispersive power und arranging the seid prismsso that they :1ct independently of one another on different portions or groups of the light rays, a lesser lateral diffusion of the rays oi light of one portion or group, and :i greater laterul diil'usion ot' the :lys ot' light ol' :1nother portion or group muy he effected, so

es to 'produce e, beam of light which et e given distance from the headlight has a zone oi relatively high .intensity and lesser lateral spread between zones of light of reletively greater luterui spreid 'whose intensity is relatively low with relution to the` intensity oi2 the zone of lesser lateral spread but is of the required intensity for the zones oi greater latere?. spread, whereby distunt lighting of the desired intensity end oit the required spread horizoi'itally und proximate side lighting oi' the desired lateral spread und ot the required intensity are obtained.

y'Thelusdliglit shown in Figs, l and 4 is gguofided with s, dimmer unit 50, which is provided with :i dass i8 oi' the sume chairn ui'ter us the glues i3 und with ai, lump 4G and fcilcctor 17.

.. on pivots 1:3 by an electroinagnet 25 and spring 16 as fully described and claimed 'in the application referred to.

Between the side zones 60 and merging therewith is a zone G1 of light produced by the prisms 43 of lesser refractive power. The prisms 43 form s substantially central beam of lig-ht which co-operates with the wide spreading beams and form `with 'the latter the Zone 61 of relatively high inten-A sity.

As shown in Fig. l.. the prisms i3 extend the full diameter of the glass, and the top and bottom'portions of these prisms form zone 62, which also (zo-operates with the Wide-spreading beams to form the high intensity light.

1. A headlight lens comprising zones of vertical pi'isms,'tlie central zone comprisingrr vertical shallow cylindrical prisms, and the outer zones each comprising; opp sitely faced substantially semi-cylimlric l eonvex prisms of greater refractive power than the prisms of the central sone.

2. In a headlight for producing zi distant light-ing leain ol" relatively high intensity, and a proximate lighting,I bcam'of lower iu- .tensity, in combination, a light source, a. re- Hector, and a lens comprising a plurality of substantially vertical groups ot prisms, each group composed of a plurality o'f vertical curved prisms, the prisms of the central group being of shallow curvature to spread slight-ly tlie'rziys passing through them, end

the prisms of the outer groups being` of e5' greater curvature to greatly spreadthe rays passing through them7 seid lower intensity beam merging with the sone of light oi. high intensity.

3. A headlight lens comprising zi plurality of vertical xgroups ol. prisms, the central group being composed. of a plurality or' vertical shallosy prisms to slightly and lsterally spread light passing: therethrough substantially equally on cacli'sirle of the exis 55 of the central group, a right hand group vcomprisinga plurality oi vertical prisms of greater lcurvature than that of the central prisms and constructed. so that they Will. re-

fract rays passing therethrough sidewise 60 and away from the axis of the lens, and e left hand group comprising a plurality of vertical prisms of greater curvature than thatI of the central prisms and constructed so that they will retract rays passing therethrough sidewise and away from the axis of the lens. A

el. In an illuminatingl device, in c0mbination., a light source, e. reflector' located in' front of said light source to project s beam m of ligiht ot' relatively low intensity, a reflector located behind said light source to pro: ject a beam of light of relatively high intensity, and a glass cooperating with said reflectors.I and constructed and arranged to obtain a, beam ol light having a Zone of( light of relutively high intensity and limitedy lateral spread between zones of light of relatively low intensity and greater lateral spread in a substantially horizontal plane through the longitudinal axis of said beam. ln testimony whereof, l have signed my name to this specification.

CROMlVELL B. HitlIVORSN, Ju. 

